Jury Duty
by TimeGuardian
Summary: Frank and Joe investigate an unusal hostage situation at the courthouse.
1. Chapter 1

**_Jury Duty_**  
A Hardy Boys Fan fiction  
By Time Guardian

It was a bright and sunny summer day in Bayport. Eighteen year old Joe Hardy chose to enjoy it by tuning up his motorcycle in the garage.

The summer break from school allowed him to catch up on things that he had been missing, like time with his girlfriend Vanessa Bender. It also helped that there had been no mysteries to solve so far - it just meant more time to relax and spend time with friends before school was due back in session.

Today was also quiet because his nineteen year old brother Frank had been called to serve jury duty over at the town courthouse. When Frank had initially received the letter weeks ago, Joe gave him a good ribbing about 'doing his duty' and going in with a 'hang em all' attitude. Frank had brushed it off and had told him it was just easier to 'get it over with'.

_Maybe it isn't so bad having the day to myself after all_, Joe thought wryly. _I could go pick up Van, see an early movie-_

His cell phone trilled loudly from where he had set it on the garage floor beside his tools. One look at the caller ID and Joe groaned. Any thoughts of a day off were quickly forgotten. He quickly snatched up the phone, pressed a button, and brought it up to his ear. "Frank, you are supposed to be in civil court serving jury duty. What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into that you would be calling me?"

Joe half expected an exasperated retort from Frank, but instead his brother's voice came across the phone hushed and worried. "It's complicated. Are you near a TV?"

"Frank-"

"Just do it, okay?" Frank retorted.

He knew that tone of voice and realized that Frank was deadly serious. Joe quickly dusted himself off and quickly made his way through the garage to reach the door to the kitchen. "All right, Frank, give me a moment."

Joe opened the door in the garage and quickly stepped through to the kitchen. He knew that his mom always kept a small TV hooked up near the stove so that she wouldn't miss the occasional news reports.

Spotting the TV, he quickly dashed over and turned it on. His mom had it tuned to a local channel, and it looked like they were airing a special news report. Images of the courthouse came into view, surrounded by dozens of cars and police. The anchor's voice came across in a tense and urgent tone. "We have just received word that a number of unknown assailants have secured the courthouse and have taken numerous hostages-"

Pieces were falling into place and Joe didn't like the answer. "Frank-you're in that building."

Quiet laughter greeted his declaration. "No kidding Sherlock - the only reason I am free is a well timed trip back to the jury room for my notebook."

Joe listened as the anchor went on to declare that there had been only one message from the inside, but the details weren't known yet to the public. "Frank, do you know what's going on in there?"

"Not totally. All I know is that we were getting ready to hear a civil suit - I think it was Bellamy VS. Hansen. When we were getting ready to be seated I realized I had forgotten my notebook in the jury room. I was only in here for a minute or two when I heard the gunshots."

"Gunshots?" Joe echoed. "Frank, sneaking firearms into a courthouse is next to impossible. You know what you are saying right?"

"Of course," Frank replied matter-of-factly. "I know what it means and it doesn't make things any clearer either, inside job or not. I chanced a peek out into the courtroom since the jury room is just off of the courtroom, and I saw the plaintiff standing behind Judge Stevenson holding a gun to his head. I also saw someone who wasn't a bailiff guarding the exit doors to the courtroom. I didn't chance a longer look. I ducked back in, barricaded the door, and retrieved my cell phone from the storage locker the bailiff had put it in. I heard the sirens outside and figured the news spread fast."

"Did it ever," Joe agreed. "What do you want me to do?"

"Run with the information I gave you. There has to be a connection between somebody in this courtroom and the plaintiff. Start with the judge. The more we know, the better chance we all get out of this situation unharmed."

Joe turned off the TV in the kitchen and headed towards the living room. He was worried for his brother, but Joe wasn't about to let that show at a moment like this. "Geez, you get into a little trouble and I end up having to cover for you. Keep your cell phone with you and stay put. I'll get the cavalry going to your rescue in no time."

"I only have three hours of charge left on cell phone, so we will have to make our conversations brief," Frank replied, letting out a breath of frustration, "Hell, they may be even shorter if the police try to jam any communications so you better get moving."

"Right. Take care, Frank."

He disconnected the call and stuffed his cell phone into his pocket. Rushing upstairs to his room, Joe grabbed his motorcycle keys from his bedside table and then rushed back downstairs at a fair clip. If he was going to find out what was going on, he needed to move and fast.

--

_Being called for jury duty sparks the weirdest plot bunnies. ;) Luckily I only had to serve one day, but this plot bunny wouldn't leave me alone. Not sure how fast I can post the chapters, but this idea is quickly taking a life of its own, and as always I promise to try and make it worth the wait. :)_


	2. Chapter 2

Jury Duty

A Hardy Boys Fan fiction

By Time Guardian

Chapter 2

Vanessa Bender opened her front door to find Joe standing there with a worried look on his face. She leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek and then motioned him inside to the living room. Once he took a seat on her couch, she started on him. "Okay Joe, I've been your girlfriend long enough to know that look. What's wrong?"

When Joe finished telling her about the conversation he had with Frank, Vanessa grabbed for her cell phone and started dialing. "We are going to need help on this. I'll call Callie and Chet and have them meet us at the coffee shop."

--

An hour later, the group gathered around a large table near the front of the Literal Bean, a small bookstore/coffee shop that was near Main Street.

Chet Morton and Callie Shaw both sat near the window side as Joe filled them in on Frank's information. When he was done, Callie shook her head. "That's not a lot of information to go on. I'm with Frank, this is beginning to sound like an inside job."

Chet Morton took in a swallow of the berry smoothie he ordered before he declared. "Sounds like a challenge. If it will help Frank, you know I'm in. Where do we start?"

Vanessa searched through her leather bag that she brought with her and brought out her laptop computer. "Why don't we start with the case that they were supposed to be hearing, Bellamy versus Hansen?"

"How much of this court stuff is actually online?" Chet asked.

"You'd be surprised, Chet," Callie stated as she stood up and moved behind Vanessa. "Depending on the area, sometimes the whole docket schedule is posted, sometimes the files and motions are accessible as well."

Vanessa accessed the county government website and began checking through the various links on the page. "Hmm, property tax issues, filing complaints, government aid - ah, here's the judicial links."

Callie pointed to a spot on the screen. "There should be the docket schedules for the week."

Joe waited with baited breath as he watched Vanessa lean over the laptop keyboard. She tapped a few keys and read more entries before finally declaring. "Okay, according to this information, it looks like Jerod Bellamy vs. Allison Hansen was the civil case being heard by Judge Stevenson in that courtroom."

Something about the name sounded familiar. "Jerod Bellamy?" Joe echoed.

"What, does it sound familiar to you Joe?" Callie prodded.

Joe shook his head as he tried to remember. "I remember dad telling us about a case the FBI was wrapping up about a year ago, because one of his colleagues was set to testify at the federal trial. I'm pretty sure the last name was Bellamy, but I'm not so sure about the first being Jerod."

Callie walked around and grabbed her cell phone from where she had left it on the table. "I know one person that can tell us."

She quickly brought up a number on her speed dial and brought the phone to her ear. "Hello Brad? It's Callie. I need a favor. Yes, I know, I owe you quite a bit already, but it's important. Would the Bayport Herald's archives have anything on a Bellamy?"

Joe watched as she nodded a couple of times before ending her call.

Callie turned back to them. "It'll take Brad Stockman most of the afternoon to check of the information. Being the head crime writer for the Bayport Herald has its advantages, so if this Bellamy character has been in trouble with the FBI, he should be able to find it. In the meanwhile I need to get to the Bayport Herald to finish up another article I am working on for another reporter. What about you guys?"

Vanessa lingered over her laptop keyboard, rereading the information she had just accessed. "I think I am going to do a little more digging about Judge Stevenson for a few minutes. It may be nothing, or there may be an important reason that Mr. Bellamy has chosen to hold a gun on the judge."

Chet stood up, clutching his smoothie. "I think I will go by the courthouse and see how the Police and FBI are handling the situation. I'll keep you posted, Joe."

Chet rushed out of the shop, but Joe noticed that Callie lingered by the door. She was staring out of the window as if lost in thought.

He got out of his chair and walked behind her, calling out. "You okay, Callie?"

She turned around to face him and Joe noticed a weird look in her eyes.

"Oh sure," Callie retorted, "You of all people are treating this like this is a normal occurrence. While we are sitting around planning and researching, we don't know what is going on in that building. Frank could be- could be-"

Her voice broke off into a strangled sob, and Joe felt for her. He wished Frank was there at that moment, but he would just have to do his best to reassure her. Putting a hand on Callie's shoulder, Joe looked into her eyes. "Hey, you don't doubt Frank now, do you? The ones with the guns don't know where he's at, and he's using that to his full advantage."

Callie cracked a small smile. "Thanks, Joe. Do me a favor? The next time Frank calls, tell him that he owes me big time, okay?"

"I'll make sure the next date he takes you on is to the fanciest restaurant in town," Joe promised as he held the door open for Callie. Once she was well on her way, he let the door go and sat back down beside Vanessa, who at this point was packing up her laptop.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Joe asked.

Vanessa nodded. "Judge Stevenson has had an interesting past on the bench. I also managed to nab his home address. He has a wife that might be worth talking to if we hurry, because if the media gets to her first we might not get any information."

"Sounds like a plan," Joe sighed as he fished in his pocket for his own phone. "Before we go there though, I know of only one other way to get access to FBI information about Bellamy. I just hope dad can come through with it. I don't know how long Frank can hold out."

Vanessa leaned into him and kissed him lightly on the lips before pulling back. "Hey, you did well in reassuring Callie, now it's time for you to believe in him. Frank can hold his own. We just need to provide a few missing pieces to this puzzle to give Frank the help he needs."

Joe smiled. "You're good for me, you know that? Give me about five minutes to call my dad and then we'll be on our way."

--

_Thanks for the feedback, guys. Here is the next chapter as promised. Heh, also in a bit of irony, I have been called for jury duty again in March. Maybe someone likes my work? ;)_

_Ah well, see you next time. _


	3. Chapter 3

_**Jury Duty  
**_A Hardy Boys fanfic  
By Time Guardian

Chapter 3

Fenton Hardy sat in his hotel room in Washington DC and pondered his meeting with his contacts. He had been working a specific angle on a case as a favor to an FBI friend who wanted low key assistance.

Judging by his contact's conditions for the meet he was going to this evening, it was leaving him a little more paranoid than he cared to admit.

Fenton sat on his bed, buttoning up the last of his buttons on his shirt when his cell phone trilled a familiar tune. It was one he had set to notify him if his wife or sons were trying to reach him. He also had an agreement with them that if he was off on what he called 'important' work, that he was only to be called in case of an emergency. With a muttered curse, he grabbed for his cell phone where he had laid it on the side table beside the bed.

He answered the phone and spoke quickly. "I leave for an informant meeting in five minutes. This had better be good."

Fenton heard a sigh. He had learned his son's mannerisms enough to know the owner of the sigh. "Joe, what's wrong?"

"Dad, it's complicated, and I know you are working on something of your own. The short of it is that Frank is in some serious trouble, and I need some information on somebody that was the subject of a federal trial about a year ago," Joe replied, his words coming out in a rush.

Fenton's breath caught. Despite his work as a police officer and private detective, despite having connections with at least half a dozen government agencies, he was a father first and foremost. "I can hop a plane and be back there tonight."

Joe was quick to cut him off. "No, dad, we've got it under control for now. I've got Vanessa, Chet, and Callie helping me right now, and we have uncovered quite a bit of information. There is one name we uncovered that I remembered hearing before because I remember you telling me about it before. It was a man, last name Bellamy?"

Fenton took a breath and quickly thought back to a year ago. That name was ringing warning bells for him. "Let's see, if I remember right, his name was Richard Bellamy. He was accused of racketeering and suspected of being part of a mafia. He's bad news, Joe. When the authorities caught up with him, he was planning to have the courthouse blown up where his trial was being held."

Time was running out if he was going to meet his informant on time. "Listen, Joe. I have to meet with my informant now. Just say the word and I will get back there ASAP, but promise me that you will keep me informed on an hourly basis."

"You know I will, dad. Take care and be careful."

"You too, Joe."

It went against every instinct he had, but Fenton reluctantly shut off his cell phone and grabbed for his jacket. If he hurried, he could just make it to the rendezvous point before his informant did.

--

Frank pondered his options, and realized that they didn't amount to much. The jury room he was in amounted to little more than an oversized conference room. There was an oblong table made out of some type of dark wood in the center supported by two large wooden legs on either end, surrounded by cushioned office chairs that looked like they had seen better days.

Over in the corner opposite from the door stood the storage lockers where the bailiffs secured the juror's belongings. Luckily enough the lock on the unit was standard enough to where he could pick it quickly and retrieve his phone. In the opposite corner was a table filled with bottled water and snacks.

_Well, at least I know that I won't starve to death_, he thought.

Checking his watch, Frank realized that only an hour had passed since he made the initial phone call to Joe. The sound quality of the room was quite good, considering the age of the building in general. What he wanted to do was find a way to find out more about this Bellamy character that was threatening the judge.

_Let's see, we have a drop ceiling like the average industrial office building, there's the vent just above the storage lockers, hmm._

There was barely enough room for Frank to climb above the lockers to get an ear near the vent. If he was lucky enough, maybe he could hear what was going on from the courtroom and-

His thoughts were cut short when he heard a noise at the door leading out to the courtroom.

Frank froze in his tracks. He had barricaded the door as best he could with a few of the chairs that had been around the conference table, but he knew that wouldn't hold anyone for long if they were curious enough.

He looked around wildly, knowing full well that he needed an idea and fast. _Great, what do I do now?_

_--_

_Another burst of inspiration, and I offer up a cliffhanger to boot. It's a short chapter, but I wanted to focus on Fenton's reaction to this mess, along with giving you a glimpse of the room Frank is in now. _

_~Hides behind rock~ I updated quickly this time because I had some free time, but things are getting busy job wise. I'll be back with a new chapter as soon as I can. _

_Edit: I apologize. I rushed this and I realize that now. I made a correction to an omission I made on the table description. _


	4. Chapter 4

**_Jury Duty  
_**Chapter 4  
By Time Guardian

Frank quickly scrambled under the conference table and dragged two chairs around him to disguise his form. He was sure that he was out of the direct line of sight of the doorway, but was ready to defend his position if it came down to it.

Seconds later, he heard the reluctant squeak of the door as somebody struggled to get it open. All Frank could see was a pair of legs as someone who looked to be one of the bailiffs came into the room and looked around for close to a minute. Finally he heard a crackle of what sounded like a walkie talkie and then a brief conversation.

_"Yeah, there's no one in here, Jerod. Are you sure that you saw someone?"_

_"Damnit - no, I guess not then. Get back in here. My timeline cannot afford any delays."_

Frank watched as the bailiff stood in place for about a minute more, then turned back towards the door. He heard the squeak of the door, and then the sweet sounds of silence. Scrambling from his hiding place, he let out the breath that he had been holding and pondered his options, which again didn't amount to much.

This was getting ridiculous. He needed more information, which meant getting close to the vent that he had spotted earlier. Before climbing up though, Frank decided to check in with Joe.

--

Joe drove Vanessa back to her house where they picked up her car, and they began the drive over to the judge's house.

They were only minutes into their journey and Joe was just settling back into the passenger seat when he heard his cell phone ring. Scrambling quickly, he fished his phone out of his pocket and answered it. "Frank?"

He heard a low hearty chuckle in reply. "The one and only. I'm really getting tired of hanging out in this jury room, Joe. Please tell me that you have news."

"We've got a little bit of information, but it might not be entirely useful just yet," Joe replied, going on to explain the results of their research and his phone call with dad.

At the mention of their father, Frank groaned. "Dad was out of town on important business. You shouldn't have bothered him."

"What else was I supposed to do?" Joe asked hotly. "You're not exactly in a position to just simply go out there and say 'excuse me, Mr. Bellamy, I wonder why you are out here holding a gun to the Judge's head'."

"Don't you think I know that?" Frank retaliated with a low hiss.

Joe was prepared to defend his position once more when he felt a hand on his arm. Looking over Vanessa, he couldn't miss the cold glare she was giving him. "Cut him some slack, Joe. We're getting the information we need, and there's not much he can do right now without getting captured."

Thoroughly mollified, Joe turned his attention back to the phone. "Frank, I'm sorry, I-"

He heard Frank give a breathy sigh. "I heard what she said and that goes two ways. You were just using the resources you have available to you, and I would have done the same thing in your shoes. We've got to take this Bellamy guy down."

"You know it," Joe replied with a chuckle, "besides, you already owe Callie a night out at a fancy restaurant."

Frank laughed in some surprise. "Gladly, whenever I get out of this place. I was going to try and listen in on the courtroom. There's a vent in here that runs by both rooms from what I can tell, so maybe I can get some more information. How far away are you two from the judge's house?"

Joe checked his watch. "We are about five minutes away. Want me to call you when we get there?"

"Yeah, but be careful, Joe. We don't know how deep this goes yet," Frank replied.

"You too, Frank."

Joe reluctantly ended the call and turned to Vanessa. "He's going to try and snoop on the courtroom."

"He knows what he is doing, Joe," Vanessa reassured him. "Besides, we need to focus. We've arrived at the judge's house."

He noticed that Vanessa had stopped the car in front of a two storied house. Plain in appearance, the house's white shingles and dark black shutters were not unlike many of the homes that lined the street that they were on. "It's kind of ordinary if you ask me. Are we in a planned community or something?"

Vanessa shook her head. "This particular part of the residential area has been year for about twenty years now.

Come on, let's see if Mrs. Stevenson is at home."

They got out of her car and made the short distance along the brick walkway until they reached the large dark wooden front door. Vanessa reached out to knock when Joe grabbed her hand. "Wait."

Vanessa looked at Joe in confusion until he pointed at the door itself. "The door's already open."

Indeed when she looked again she noticed the door barely open an inch. "That's not very secure. Either somebody left in a big hurry-"

"-or somebody wanted to visit Mrs. Stevenson very badly." Joe finished her thought. "Vanessa, go back to the car and call the police. I am going to check this out."

"Are you crazy?" She retorted, "What if somebody is in there waiting on you?"

Joe looked back at the door. "Well, then I need to be better than they are, now don't I?"

--

Chet Morton got as far as three blocks away from the scene before having to give up and park his car. He got out and jogged the remaining distance until the throng of onlookers became too packed. It took him longer than he would have liked, but soon he found his way to the head of the crowd where he saw a variety of police and unmarked cars that had swarms of FBI and police around them.

"Morton!"

Chet looked around wildly for the source of the voice until he spotted Chief Ezra Collig walking towards him. He was sporting a Kevlar vest, and an expression that clear conveyed his unhappiness at seeing him there.

"The last thing we need here is more rubberneckers. Tell Frank and Joe we have this covered. Well, the FBI does at any rate. Go home."

Chet spoke up quickly. "But sir! There are a few things you should know about."

Chief Collig sighed and checked his watch. "Okay, you have two minutes. Start talking."

Chet then told him about Frank being caught in the building and what Joe and Vanessa had told him about. When he was done, he noticed that the Chief was pondering what he had just said.

"I knew this wasn't a simple hostage situation," Chief Collig declared. "So Frank and Joe think the target is the judge? It doesn't matter either way. For now, we can't get close enough to get a line of communication in there, because the doors were wired by whoever pulled off this stunt. FBI is holding a briefing in five minutes to come up with a plan and I need to be there."

Chet looked back towards the courthouse. "Wired, as in wired to let them know we are coming?"

Collig shook his head sadly. "Wired, as in anyone who touches those doors will get blown up."

--

_It's been a rough couple of weeks for me, but here is a peace offering. More to come as soon as I can._


	5. Chapter 5

**_Jury Duty_**  
Chapter 5  
By Time Guardian

Joe waited until Vanessa was headed towards the car before he turned his full attention back to the door. Taking his time, he carefully pushed in on the front door. It creaked inward about an inch – and that was when he saw a filament wire running down from the top of the door, now stretched out due to the door being open.

_It's a trap!_

With a loud curse, Joe turned and sprinted towards Vanessa's car. It could have been nothing, but he wasn't about to take any chances. Seconds later, his suspicions were confirmed when a loud explosion erupted from behind him.

Joe dove face first onto the lawn, and covered his head as best he could. He could hear debris from the front door rain down all around him.

"Joe!!"

Joe hadn't blacked out, but the noise and the heat of the blast left a ringing in his ears and a wave of heat upon his back that nearly made him wince. It took him at least a minute before he could hear Vanessa's shouting. He finally managed to get to his feet just as she reached him

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he insisted, brushing off Vanessa's efforts to help him. Joe turned back to look at the front of the house, now completely engulfed in flames, and then over at the empty driveway beside the house. "No car. We can only hope she fled. Maybe I should check the back of the house-"

She grabbed his arm before he could move back towards the scene. "I called the station and spoke with Con. He's covering things while the chief is at the courthouse. He's sending two units over here now, but he told me that there had been a report filed by Mr. Stevenson that they have been receiving death threats. At last report Mr. Stevenson stated that he had sent his wife to stay with friends out of town."

He let out the breath that he had been holding. "So talking to Mrs. Stevenson is a dead end. We can only hope that whoever torched the place didn't find any leads to her."

Joe moved towards the passenger side of Vanessa's car and started to get in.

"Wait a minute, Joe. Shouldn't we wait for the police?" Vanessa asked.

"We can't stay."

"Are you kidding me? We are knee deep in this."

"And Frank is neck deep in this. We can't stop, not yet," Joe retorted.

Vanessa sighed in resignation. She knew there would be no winning this argument. "Let's go see what Callie has found out then. Surely with her resources and contacts, she would be able to give us more than what we have now."

As Joe got into the passenger seat and closed his door, Vanessa rounded around the car and got back into the driver's seat. She closed her car door and turned on the radio. "Maybe one of the local stations has an update on what's going on at the courthouse."

Joe settled back into his seat and took out his cell phone. "Actually we might be better off calling Chet. He should be there by now."

He punched a number on his speed dial and put the phone to his ear. "Hello? Yeah, Chet, what's the scene like?"

Vanessa looked at Joe as a myriad of emotions crossed his face.

Joe finally spoke into his phone again. "I appreciate the update, Chet. Stick close to the chief. If there is any information to be had, that FBI briefing he's going to is the best bet. We are heading over to the newspaper offices to see Callie. Call me back if you get anything else."

He shook his head as he ended the call. "It looks like Bellamy has the doors to the courthouse booby trapped. It won't stop the authorities for long, but they are being very cautious."

"Shouldn't you call Frank back?"

Joe shook his head. "We don't have anything worthwhile to report yet. Let's visit Callie first."

--

Frank looked up at the vent that he had spotted earlier and groaned. By his estimates, that was his only chance to hear any sounds from the courtroom, but it was going to be tight fit.

Using one of the chairs from the conference table, he positioned it just below the storage lockers and boosted himself up in one swift motion. Luckily the lockers held under his weight, and soon he had himself positioned right next to the vent. Frank held his breath, hoping to be able to hear something.

He felt a brief bit of elation when he caught the sounds of the courtroom and people shouting in panic.

Then he heard a voice rise up above the others that sounded suspiciously like Jerod Bellamy. "Judge Stevenson, you were the judge at my father's criminal trial five years ago, correct?"

Frank strained to hear the answer, but none came.

Gunshots sounded, and then Jerod's voice came through loud and angry. "WHEN I ASK YOU A QUESTION, YOU ANSWER. YOU WERE THE JUDGE-"

"Yes! Yes!"

Frank recognized the judge's voice as the man replied nervously.

Jerod's harsh laughter rang through in his reply. "Now that's much better. You convicted my father of a crime where explosives were used and people died?"

Frank heard no reply, which made him wonder if Judge Stevenson answered the question, but then Jerod's next question seemed to come from nowhere. "Next question, Mr. Stevenson, and you better not get THIS one wrong: He brought you in on the job in question, didn't he?"

Frank froze as the crowd noise in the court room rose in pitch, most likely a result of the question itself. The question had numerous implications. For Jerod to make such an accusation was no small thing.

He craned his head closer to the vent as he awaited Judge Stevenson's reply.

--

_Tis a short one, but I wanted to get this out here. More soon._


	6. Chapter 6

Jury Duty  
Chapter 6  
by Time Guardian

The ride to the Bayport Herald building was a tense one. As she drove, Vanessa looked over at Joe more than once to find that he was gazing off into the distance and seemed to be in another place entirely.

Minutes later, they pulled into the driveway in front of a red bricked two story building. A metal sign was mounted squarely between the floors, the elegant scrollwork proudly proclaimed the building to be the Bayport Herald.

They managed to find a parking space in the visitor's area next to the building. Getting out of the car, Joe and Vanessa quickly made their way through the glass double doors into a large foyer area with white walls, numerous paintings, a receptionist's desk at one end, and a bank of elevators on the opposite side.

When they approached the desk, they found Callie speaking with the main receptionist, and she was more than surprised when Vanessa had stepped forward to tap her on her shoulder. "Vanessa, Joe! What are you two doing here? What's going on?"

"Plently," Joe replied tensely, "Is there somewhere private where we can talk?"

Callie pointed to a glass door behind the receptionist's desk that seemed to lead to a long hallway. "I am waiting for Brad stockman to get out of a meeting. He is the crime writer for the Herald, and the one I wanted to talk to. I am sure that he would be willing to see all of us."

Before Joe could reply, he saw the door open. An older man with black hair with just a few touches of grey peeked out, and judging by his deeply tanned skin, Joe could tell the man had seen some time in the field. The man smiled broadly and addressed Callie.

"Ace! It is good to see you again, and you brought friends...I especially recognize you, Joesph Hardy. My name is Bradley Stockman. Callie briefed me on the situation via phone. Won't you all come with me please?"

Bradley held the door open wider and beckoned to them.

---

The trio followed Bradley through the door and into a small conference room near the end of the hall. Vanessa and Joe each took a seat at the end of a conference table as they watched Callie give Bradley a quick hug.

Bradley sighed as he took a seat at the head of the conference table. "Callie was the best intern anyone could ask for. She will be acing me out of my byline soon enough. But enough about the past, we are here talking about the infamous Bellamy family and what they could want with a courtroom full of people and a judge."

Joe nodded as he watched Callie take a seat beside him. "Callie told us that you have quite a few connections beign a crime writer and all. Frank has been keeping in touch with us via cell phone. It's kind of a long story, but from what he has been able to overhear, it sounds like this Jerod Bellamy is focusing most of his anger on Judge Stevenson."

Bradley scoffed. "Old 'hang em high' Stevenson? I'm not surprised actually. When Stevenson was still a federal judge, he heard the case against Jerod's father, Richard Bellamy. Sent him up for at least sixty years if memory serves."

Vanessa shook her head slowly. "Forgive me for butting in, Mr. Stockman, but this sounds far from a simple revenge scheme. Why would Jerod go after him in the courtroom?"

"The better question is why go after him at all, and please, all of you can call me Brad," he replied simply.

"The way I heard it, Jerod's blasting and bomb making skills are only second to his dad's. He could have easily broken his father out of jail."

"We've heard from the scene that they have the courthouse doors wired to blow if anyone even tries to touch him," Joe commented, "It'll hold up the authorities outside for a short time, but they are meeting right now to find a way around it."

Brad nodded, taking the information in, "So all of this is temporary. He only wants to hold them off long enough to get his task done. Do we know why?"

Joe shook his head "No, I-"

The ringing of his cell phone distracted him. Joe quickly grabbed it from his pocket and answered it. "Hello, Frank? Hold on a moment, let me put you on speakerphone."

He touched a button on his phone, and then Joe placed the phone on the table. "I'm here with Vanessa and Callie, along with Brad Stockman from the Herald."

Frank's voice came from the phone low and hushed. "When you said the calvary, you meant it. Did you guys get to see the judge's wife?"

"No, the place was cleared out and booby trapped," Joe replied. "There was no sign of the wife."

Frank continued."Well, I managed to listen in partly on what was going on the courtroom. Jerod is accusing the judge of being in on the job that his father was sent up for."

"Richard Bellamy?" Joe was surprised at this. "We figured on some sort of revenge, but I would have never pegged that. Did the judge say anything to the accusation?"

"No, but judging by the gunfire I heard-"

Suddenly Frank's voice cut off. There was a loud crash that came over the line, then silence.

Joe looked down at his phone in dismay as he realized the connection had been terminated from Frank's end. He wanted to call Frank Scenarios ran through his mind, each of them more disturbing than than the last.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked over to find Vanessa looking at him worriedly. "You okay?"

Joe took a calming breath. "Yeah."

Head down, Callie focused on the designs in the wooden conference table. "If Jerod is truly after the Judge Stevenson for throwing Richard Bellamy to the dogs, then he isn't going to care who he hurts."

Joe turned to Brad. "Do you have any info on the judge?"

"Judge Stevenson was a federal court judge who served for four years before he stepped down. He then became a judge at the county level."

"He stepped down?" Vanessa echoed. "Why?"

Brad chuckled. "Would you believe that is a very well protected story? My editor put me on it after that fact, when he wanted an article on the move. The local beat reporter couldn't get anyone to talk, so he set me on it. My sources couldn't tell me a thing and his records seem to be sealed. If I didn't know any better I would consider it a first class cover-up."

"Sounds like a man with something to hide," Callie muttered.

"Agreed," Joe said. "What we need now is a diversion to draw Jerod out. We need the whole story, and we need to be able to keep everyone alive while we are doing it."

"I know a way," Callie murmured, looking up from the table. When all eyes turned to her, she continued her pitch. "Jerod Bellamy is angry at Judge Stevenson for something he did to his father, right? He's holding people hostage and he's holding the authorities at bay. Guys, he wants an audience. Jerod wants people to witness his act of revenge. What if we give him a media witness from the outside?"

Joe stared at her, trying to figure out what angle she was playing from, but it was the hard glint in Callie's eye that tipped him off. "Oh no, you are not setting foot inside that courthouse."

Callie crossed her arms and stood up defiantly. "None of you can stop me. Brad, you said it yourself, I was the best intern you ever had. I know the right questions to ask, and I can string him along to allow for the perfect opportunity to get him."

Joe shook his head. "It's too dangerous. Frank-"

She cut him off hotly. "I promised myself that if there was any way to help Frank, I would. End of discussion."

Brad held up a hand. "If Ace here is so insistent on going, fine, but we could get someone in there as a photographer and backup just in case. I am an old hand at cameras and-"

Joe couldn't believe what he was hearing. Usually he was the one getting rebuked for being impetuous. "This is dangerous. We still don't have a firm idea of what Jerod wants with the judge. For some reason, he thinks that Stevenson was involved in the last crime that Jerod's father pulled off, and we have no way of verifying that unless this hair brained scheme works."

Callie touched his arm. "But think about it this way: what if the FBI finds a way into the building? You can't sit there and tell me that this guy doesn't have a plan B. If Jerod really hates Judge Stevenson that much, he's not going to let him live."

That was exactly what Joe was thinking of. The problem was, he was also seeing the potential for collateral damage. If they could truly stall for time, the odds were better that no one would get hurt. He sighed in resignation. "Frank will probably kill me for this, but I don't see any other way around it. However, if you don't mind, Mr. Stockman, I'd like to be Callie's photographer."

"Joe-" Vanessa spoke up worriedly.

Joe turned to her. "Vanessa, if Jerod wants attention for this act of revenge, then this would be the best way. We have enough to string him along long enough to find what is truly going on and find an opening. I am not going to let Callie go in there alone and she's determined to do this."

"Giving him the attention he wants will make sure of one thing: He won't be shooting at anyone." Brad replied simply.

"If we go with this plan, then we only have one more issue," Vanessa insisted. "The authorities are not going to let us within a mile of the place with the plan we have."

Brad got to his feet. "Leave that to me."

--

From his vantage point, Frank had decided to call Joe to let him know the latest. It took some maneuvering considering that he was on top of the storage lockers, but he had managed to reach his cell phone from where he had left it in his pocket.

Frank had managed to dial his brother's number and was in the middle of talking when he felt an unexpected pull on his leg. Surprised, Frank fell to the ground hard. Stars danced in front of his eyes as Frank tried to get up quickly at the unexpected interruption, but was brought up short by a gun in his face. Looking up, Frank realized it was one of the bailiff's that was holding him at gunpoint.

The bailiff sneered at him, all the while waving the gun. "I knew that there was someone in this room. Bellamy is going to be eating his words for sure. Now move!"

--

_You might be experiencing déjà vu - I had taken this chapter down because I had made a mistake with the judge's name. I now repost it with a little extra added. I do apologize for the delay, and hope you will stick through to the end with me. I promise plenty of action and a few surprises along the way. _


	7. Chapter 7

Jury Duty  
Chapter 7  
by Time Guardian

Frank stepped out into the courtroom that he had hidden from only hours before. The people that were seated in the courtroom looked downright afraid. Nobody looked to be hurt, but judging by the armed men dressed in bailiff uniforms guarding the exits, there was a distinct blanket of fear that was hanging over the courtroom.

He felt the nudge of a weapon at his back and a hand roughly shoving him to the middle of the room.

"So, you were right. We had a stray."

Frank turned around at the source of the voice and finally got a good look at Jerod Bellamy for the first time since he took over the courtroom. With his short brown hair and black business suit with a blue tie, he could have easily passed as a lawyer or a business man easily. However, Jerod stood behind the judge's chair, armed with a pistol of some sort, and had a distinct look of hatred in his eyes.

Judge Stevenson was clearly nervous of the man, keeping his own posture stiff as a board despite Jerod pointing a weapon at him. His black hair was meticulously groomed, and Frank could see a red collar peeking out from the top of Judge Stevenson's robes.

Jerod spoke again. "Who are you?"

Frank laughed harshly. There was a good chance that Jerod was playing games with him, and Frank was far from humoring a madman. "If you don't know, then I don't think I should really tell you."

It was his captor who decided to spill the beans. "He's Frank Hardy, boss. I've seen him and his brother on the news more than once. They are wannabe private eyes."

Jerod seemed amused by the revelation and motioned over to the jury box. "Are they now? I guess they will let anyone into jury duty these days. Sit Mr. Hardy over there – after all, he deserves a proper seat since he is so curious about me."

Frank felt the man behind him grab him by the shoulder and start steering him over to the juror's box where there was one last open seat. As he sat down and watched the baliff that was guarding him back off, he decided to chance a question. "One question of my own if you don't mind...how did you pay off the Baliffs? You have enough firepower here for a small army, and you couldn't have done that with just their help."

"It is amazing the power of money...I managed to bribe the right people to allow two of my own men in - the rest was them bribing the others and killing the ones who said no. It is as simple as that."

Jerod's simple reply made some sort of sick sense. Curious now, Frank decided to try his luck one more time. "Come on, Jerod, all of this so that you can interrogate Judge Stevenson? You could have tried to go after him personally."

"Ah, silly me. I could have done that, except that I did," Jerod growled menacingly as he brought his weapon closer to Judge Stevenson's head. "He seems to be better protected than Fort Knox. I even tried to pay a visit to his wife, but I found his place suspiciously empty. Come to find out the little wifey took off for the parent's house."

That provoked a reaction. Judge Stevenson started to rise to his feet when Jerod turned and brought his gun down against the judge's head. Dazed, Judge Stevenson slumped back into his chair.

Suddenly, there was commotion near the courtroom doors. Frank strained to look, and noticed that they opened slightly to allow a man in. Dressed in black, the man was holding what looked like a remote control voice and was clearly out of breath when he approached the front of the courtroom. "Boss! Boss! The cops outside just blasted an offer over megaphone. They are offering us a journalist and a photographer so that we can tell our side of the story. What do you think?"

Frank watched Jerod mull the possibility over until the man finally nodded. "Get a message out there to them. Tell them no tricks, but we will be more than happy to give the press our side of the story."

As the man in black left the courtroom, Frank's mind whirred with possibilities – what were the authorities doing sending in a journalist?

He received his answer minutes later when the courtroom doors opened again. This time when the man in black returned, he was escorting two figures. Frank's heart lurched wildly when he recognized one of the figures. _Callie!_

What was she doing here? Frank fought to keep his pulse and emotions under control as he watched Callie walk in with a photographer into the middle of the courtroom.

Something about the photographer was familiar as well, but Frank couldn't quite figure out what. Dressed in jeans, a dark blue t-shirt, and a khaki vest, the photographer has a camera hanging around his neck, and he was wearing a Bayport Herald baseball cap low over his face.

--

Callie and Joe approached the center of the courtroom, and Jerod moved from behind Judge Stevenson to take a good look at them and laughed. "So the Bayport Herald is curious about me. Now why would a local paper be interested in my efforts?"

Callie did her best not to look as nervous as she felt before replying coolly. "Mr. Bellamy, like it or not, you are news. So far, all the authorities out there know is that you were the plantiff in a civil suit here in Judge Stevenson's courtroom, and now you have taken hostages as well as a captive audience to watch it all."

Doing his best to keep his cap low on his face, Joe looked around the courtroom and spotted Frank sitting over in the juror's box. Judging by the look of shock on his brother's face, Joe knew right away that Frank was not so happy with them being there right now.

"Is something wrong, Mr. Hardy?"

Joe was jarred by the sound of Jerod's voice and for a moment thought his cover had been blown. It was when he saw Jerod look at Frank he only relaxed slightly. One wrong move on either of their parts and their carefully crafted plan was going to go up in smoke.


	8. Chapter 8

Jury Duty  
Chapter 8  
By Time Guardian

Frank held his breath and did his best to relax, though what he really wanted to do was give Callie a piece of his mind.

Then he got a good look at the photographer and nearly did a double-take. _It was Joe!_

"Is something wrong, Mr. Hardy?"

Jerod's question shook him. Frank knew that he had no choice - he couldn't betray Joe and Callie, but it was all he could do to keep his emotions in check. "Nothing other than the fact that the authorities must be willing to work with you if they are willing to let a journalist hear your story. You might want to take the opportunity to set the record straight."

He saw Jerod's eyes flare in anger. "You have a point."

--

Callie Shaw took a deep breath, and kept her focus on the man standing next to Judge Stevenson. She and Joe were both given a quick briefing on Jerod Bellamy before they were even allowed to approach the courthouse.

From what she heard, she knew that this wasn't going to be an easy task.

From her pocket, she withdrew a voice recorder and switched it on before turning her attention back to the focus of their plan. "Mr. Bellamy, my name is Callie Shaw, and I am with the Bayport Herald. We were alerted to what was happening here, and we were wanting the rest of the story."

Jerod looked at her quizzically. "Now why would the Bayport Herald be interested in covering a story like mine? My father committed a crime, which I don't deny. I am just making sure that all of the people involved get theirs." He looked at the judge pointedly and sneered. "Old 'hang em high' Stevenson here needs to be revealed for who he is - a criminal."

"He-he's a liar," Judge Stevenson stammered. "He's the one that is holding us all hostage here-"

"Oh SHUT UP!" Jerod roared, bringing down the pistol he was holding hard against the judge's head. Judge Stevenson flinched, shrinking back into his seat.

Callie flinched, watching the exchange. She decided to press forward with the plan that she and Joe agreed upon. "Jerod, since the judge isn't willing to admit to anything, why don't you tell me what happened? I promise you that your story will be heard."

Jerod stood straight, keeping the pistol in his hand pointed straight at the judge. It was nearly a minute before he spoke. "Ten years ago, a group of five people planned a robbery. It was a Federal Reserve shipment of money that was coming from Washington DC to replenish money banks in the area. One man drew the others in with promises of a lucrative payday. That man was Judge Livingston. He used his position to disguise his activities, promised them that if they got into trouble that he would find a way out for them."

He grabbed the judge's shoulder and shook him roughly. "But that didn't happen, now did it? Your plan was revealed, your co-conspirators arrested. However, you came out of this smelling like a rose. You made sure that you weren't in the area when it went down, but you were there when your cohorts stood trial. You convicted each and every one of them."

Judge Stevenson's voice was shakier this time. "A-as well I should - people died, plain and simple. B-besides, where's your proof?"

Jerod's face was rigid as he replied. "The other members of the gang are dead! All three of them died in prison. Only my father remains. He made it clear: you are the one that doctored evidence, you are the one that paid off people to say my father was the head of the gang - he knows the truth and has tried to tell everyone, but no one will listen to him."

Callie spoke up. "Surely your father recorded calls, kept records, something to point to the head of the group."

"MY father's things are now in the possession of the court," Jerod replied, looking down at Judge Stevenson with a sneer. "'Evidence' he called it - more like keeping the evidence from seeing the light of day. Don't deny it, you can't say anything that I would believe at this point."

Callie had hoped that Judge Stevenson would wise up to the 'suggestion' to keep quiet, but he chose that moment to continue the rambling that he had been on earlier. "I don't know what the Hell Bellamy is talking about. I have seen relatives of convicted-"

That last tirade seemed to send Jerod over the edge. He growled. "That's just it! You are the one who threw him to the wolves. Now it's time you pay."

He then opened his suit jacket to reveal a circuit board with a flashing timer and what looked to be numerous sticks of some sort of explosive surrounding his middle. "I knew my knowledge will come in handy to take you down. Judge Livingston, you have just dug your own grave, along with these witnesses."

Judge Livingston's eyes widened in terror. "You're mad, Jerod - you'll die too."

"I made a promise to my father the last time I saw him - I told him I would take you down," Jerod spat, looking down at the apparatus that was wrapped around his body. "Judge, I told him goodbye. I have never ended our conversations like that before, and he understood what I had to do. I never expected to walk out of here alive, but as long as I take this bastard with me, I'll be at peace."

--

Jerod's words settled like a lump in Joe's throat. Beside him, Callie was trying to suppress a shudder. Joe put a hand on her shoulder and gave a quick squeeze.

He quickly whispered to her. "We've got to see this through for Frank's sake."

It was nearly a minute before Callie nodded and whispered back. "Then I think it's time for you to 'take some pictures'."

Joe held up his camera and scoped the courtroom uneasily. More than once he caught Frank's eye and the look of unease that went along with it. It was like the championship football game back in his senior year in high school - it was fourth down, Joe had the ball, and he was staring down a defensive line that wanted to take his team down.

* * *

_One chapter left, and it is currently halfway done. I will release it as soon as I can. :)_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Jury Duty**_  
Chapter 9  
by Time Guardian

Joe Hardy held his camera steady, all the while focusing on Jerod. ~This had better work...~

His efforts didn't go unnoticed. "Kid, I don't think you get what I just said. I am blowing this place up."

"H-he's just documenting the event," Callie rushed to explain, "even if we don't survive, the pictures will."

"You two are strange journalists," Jerod mused.

Joe continued his efforts as he heard Callie reply. "You have to admit, this is a very strange situation. You are an honor bound man. You don't deny your father participated in the crime, and there's certainly nothing for you to lose."

As Callie finished her words, there was a sudden explosion of activity. Joe clicked the camera button once on Jerod. Smoke started billowing through the closed doors, and panicked voices resounded through the courtroom.

Seconds later, the doors to the courtroom burst open. Members of the SWAT team stormed in with weapons drawn.

Angered, Jerod jabbed a finger on button on the circuit panel on his chest. When nothing happened, he looked down in confusion and then back up at Joe. "What did you do?"

Joe patted the 'camera' around his neck. "Just zapped your electronics is all. You are not blowing anything up today."

With an agonized wail, Jerod sank to his knees. Through the gloom of the smoke, Joe eyed him warily, half-expecting him to make a run for it or go after the judge.

What he didn't expect was Judge Stevenson rushing to his feet and trying to make a break for the exit.

Joe rushed and managed to tackle Judge Stevenson to the ground, effectively pinning him.

Judge Stevenson thrashed around wildly. "Let me go! You have no case against me!"

Chuckling, Joe shook his head while keeping the judge pinned to the ground. "I doubt that. Both Callie and I were wired for sound. The FBI heard everything and I am pretty sure once they go through your trial records, your career will be through. You have a lot to answer for."

---

The FBI had rounded up Jerod's cohorts and had secured the scene. They were beginning to question witnesses, and had just finished with Frank when Joe caught up with him.

He turned to his brother. "Well, that was a wild ride. Are you all right?"

"Yeah, fine," Joe replied lightly. "Did you enjoy the show?"

Frank laughed in relief. "I feel better now this is all over and you two are all right. Who came up with this crazy idea anyway?"

Smiling, Joe hitched a thumb towards where Callie was talking with another FBI agent. "And on that note, I think I will go find Vanessa and leave you two to hash out the details. She's probably worried to death. After a day like this, I think dinner and a night out with my girl is in order. Later."

After his brother left, Frank walked over to where Callie had just finished speaking with one of the agents. She turned to him with a big smile. "Everything turned out okay. Nobody was seriously hurt, and Brad just told me that I will have the headline for this story in the paper."

He moved in close and wrapped his arms around her. "Of course you know that you scared me to death, but you did well. I couldn't be more proud."

Callie pointed a finger at him and grinned. "As you should be, since I saved your bacon and all."

Frank scoffed as he looked into her eyes. "You saved 'my' bacon? If I recall, if I hadn't thought to hide out in the juror room and tip off Joe, you two wouldn't have even known that I was in trouble."

Callie smiled and shook her head. "Oh, I don't know about that. Thanks to Joe and the rest of us, we we're able to put the pieces together very quickly about who we were dealing with. Thanks to Brad Stockman over at the Bayport Herald, we found out how shaky Judge Stevenson's background truly was, and he was the one that got the FBI and Police to agree on our plan to get in here, albeit reluctantly. Chief Collig was still reading him the riot act when I last saw him."

"Okay, Miss Smarty Pants, since you were in on this 'plan', what about the bombs? Why didn't they go off when this place was swarmed?" Frank asked with a grin.

"Simple...Joe wasn't carrying a camera. He was carrying a miniature EMP generator. It had enough of a range to send out a signal short out the bombs on the doors along with luckily shorting out whatever Jerod had rigged on his body. We were wired, so all I had to do was give a code phrase at the right time so the SWAT team would know when to storm in."

Amazed, Frank remarked, "Of course it fried all of the electronics in the building, but not bad considering the circumstances."

"Now if that's enough questions, I am getting quite hungry," Callie declared.

"Well, I suppose since you saved me and all," Frank teased, "the least I can do is buy you dinner."

She smiled, breaking his embrace and pushing him towards the exit to the courtroom. "Let's go then."

--

_It's done. A hearty big thank you is in order to those who stuck around for the ending. :) There were some bumps along the way, but in the end as usual, it was a good learning experience. This however will be my last story for this fandom - there's too much stuff out there I want to read and catch up on, along with wanting to focus on some personal projects. It's been fun and a pleasure. _


End file.
